Ground Beef and Rice Casserole

When you’re short on time on any occasion, this ground beef and rice casserole is the ultimate solution. It’s a one-pan recipe that doesn’t make a mess in the kitchen. You can freeze this recipe and save your leftovers.

Beefy and cheesy rice casserole made from super simple ingredients, cooked in 30 minutes! This recipe is gluten-free and easy to make on the stovetop.

The tender rice, veggies, and savory ground beef topped with cheese is a healthy and flavorful meal for the entire family. You can also try this recipe in a Mexican-inspired version. It’s packed with protein. Add black beans, corn, and bell peppers, and the entire dish transforms into something bold and juicy.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

1. Easy: A few steps with simple ingredients, and the stove does the rest. This Ground Beef and Rice Casserole recipe is perfect for busy weeknights. You want to make something delicious and life easier without the effort!
2. 40 Minutes: Start to finish, that’s all it takes! Only 15 to 20 minutes to make this recipe, then just sit back and let it simmer.
3. One Pan: Everything cooks in one skillet, which means minimal cleanup and zero stress after dinner. The best kind of dinner recipe!
4. Healthy: This recipe is Gluten-free, veggie-packed, and lean protein. This meal is healthy and good for you!

Ingredients You’ll Need

OLIVE OIL:

In this recipe, we use flavorful olive oil with healthy fats. You can replace it with avocado oil or vegetable oil.

Red Onion and Bell Peppers:

Red onions give you natural sweetness in this recipe. I have used one red and one green bell pepper. You can use any type of bell pepper and yellow onions. 

Garlic:

Minced garlic gives a good taste in a one-pan recipe. We can preserve minced garlic as a fast, easy, and shortcut ingredient.

Ground Beef:

Lean ground beef is good to use in this recipe. During cooking, no drainage of fat is required. We can easily replace ground beef with ground turkey or ground chicken.  

Jasmine Rice:

This recipe is specifically timed for jasmine rice, though any short-grain rice serves as a suitable replacement. If we use rice pouches, we can easily save time and also reduce the broth to 1/2 cup.

Cumin, Chili Powder, Paprika, Oregano, and Salt:

you can feel the flavor of herbs and spices in every bite! You also use 2 tablespoons of taco seasoning for more good flavor in place of spices.

Chicken Broth:

You can use chicken broth. It gives a rich flavor, and you can also freely replace it with water. For alternative options, both beef broth and vegetable broth are highly suitable. 

Crushed Tomatoes:

For more to enhance the color  of the casserole , we can use canned crushed tomatoes.

Frozen Corn:

You can use corn for a rich flavor . It’s so good! Canned corn works too effectively.

Black Beans:

You can use pinto beans or garbanzo beans if you don’t like black beans.

Spinach:

The wilted spinach is good to use in the casserole.

Shredded Cheese:

 I like to use a Mexican cheese blend in this recipe.

How to Make It Step by Step:

Prep all ingredients before cooking for this one-pan recipe. You can serve this one-pan quick lunch idea in just 30 minutes. You will learn this process here, step by step.

Step 1: Brown the Ground Beef

We put a little olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. After heating the oil, we can add the onion and then add the ground beef and garlic until cooked and browned. Add bell peppers and cook until they reach a tender texture.

Step 2: Cook the Rice

Add beef broth, spices , tomatoes, corn, butter, beans, rice, and ½ cup to the beef mixture. When the mixture reaches a low boil, reduce the flame until cooked for 20 minutes. During this process, stir once midway through.

Step 3: Assemble and Bake

For the best results, you can choose regular long-grain rice instead of minute rice. Long-grain rice is best to cook then short grain rice. Regular rice provides far better flavor and enhanced nutritional benefits.

Recipe Variations

• Make it Low-Carb: Use cauliflower rice instead of traditional rice, and reduce the chicken stock to 1/2 cup. 
• Swap the Protein: Ground chicken and ground turkey are both best to use in this recipe.
• Make it Vegetarian: if you don’t want to use ground beef, replace it with tofu or seitan. 
• Save Time: Use pre-cooked microwave rice packets instead of raw rice. Now you can cook microwaved rice in a skillet and save time.

Make Ahead Instructions

You can save this casserole recipe after fully preparing it in the refrigerator for 2 days before you plan to bake.

To Bake:

Leave the casserole to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before putting it into the oven. Bake it in the oven at 350f for 25-30 minutes.

How to Store and Reheat

• Refrigerator: Store it in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
• Freezer: Freeze for up to 3 months!
• Reheating: Add a splash of water or broth and microwave for 2-3 minutes from the fridge or 4-5 minutes from the freezer. You can also reheat it in the oven or on the stovetop!
• Refrigerate: leftovers in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days.
• Freeze: easily for 3 months.
• Reheating: the leftovers after defrosting overnight. Now you can microwave at 350F. It also depends on the portion size. 

Serving Suggestions

• Top it: you can use topping sauces to enhance the flavor in this casserole recipe. You can add fresh sour cream, sliced black olives, chopped onions, and a drizzle of cilantro lime sauce. 
• Serve It Alongside: While this Ground Beef Casserole serves as a complete meal on its own, it is more tasty if we add some roasted potato black bean salad, mango salsa recipe, or chipotle corn salsa recipe.

What to Serve with Ground Beef and Rice Casserole?

we can serve it with sheet pan sausage and veggies or roasted cabbage which you more like.

Nutrition

1. High in sodium: 1,085mg is 47% of the daily value, which is quite significant in a single serving.
2. High in saturated fat:17g covers 85% of the daily recommended limit.
3. Good protein source: 33g provides about 66% of a typical daily protein target.
4. Strong in calcium: 354mg covers roughly 27% of daily needs.